Automatic switch mechanism for railways.



PATBNTBD MAY 24, 1904.

' W. E. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC SWITCH MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1903.

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. UNITED STATES Patented May :24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

J WILLIAM E. HARRIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC/SWITCH MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,046, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed August 4, 1903.

To all whom itmay concern.

'Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. HARR1s,-a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch Mechanism for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism embodying a switch of an automatic character and which is especially designed to be operated, preferably, by suitable mechanism combined in or attached to a car or other vehicle running along a fixed railway.

Among other objects which will become apparent from the following specification are to provide a switching mechanism which will become automatically operative during the approach of a car toward said switch; to prevent said mechanism from becoming inoperative during the freezing season; to provide suitable devices attached toa 'car'for automatically positioning the switch during the approach of the car thereto, and to produce an inexpensive, durable, and efficient structure.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 illustrates, perspectively, a car approaching the switchingpoint, the operative member attached to said car in the process of operating a switch. Fig. 2 illustrates a fragmentary detailview of a portion of a running-gear and showing levers running from foot-pieces at the platform to a switch-operating member. Fig. 3 is a plan 7 view-of a wheel suchas'may be employed to trip certain members of the switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan View, partially diagrammatic, of a trackway, the switch,and the mechanism of the switch. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a switch felement.

6 is a like perspective View of a sectorgear employed in said switch. Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken on line a: w, Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a similar cross-section on line y y of said Fig. 4, and Fig. 9 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating the lever construction.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures.

Serial no. 168,131. (No model.)

Shown for convenience of illustration is a bar 1 of an ordinary switch, which is pivoted at 2 in a switch-plate 3 and to which may be at tached astem 4, preferably extending through a slot 5 in said switch-plate 3. Connecting the stem 4 at 6 is a member 7, whose opposite end 8 may be mounted for lateral reciprocation in a bearing 9, preferably beneath a track 10 on the side opposite the track 10 in which the switch is located. This member 7 preferably, in the present instance, is provided with an offset 11, which is designed to take under a cable or wire 12, as seen in Fig. 8, and is also provided with extended arms 13 and 14, which are provided with racks 15 and 15, adapted to mesh with opposite-located sectorgears 16'and 17 which are secured to rods 18 and 19, which proceed to a mechanism designed to be operated upon by a tripping member carried, preferably, by a car and by which, through said mechanism, the switch proper is automatically operated. At a suitable distance from the switch, and to which point the rods 18 and 19 extend, the track is provided -with' third rails 20'and 21 on the inside of the main tracks 10 and 10, respectively, and by and between said third rails and track slots 22 and 23 are formed, in which are mounted for vertical reciprocation members 24 and 24, each provided with racks 25 and 25 and shoes 26 and 26. The rods 18 and 19 are also provided with sector gears 27 and'28, which mesh with said racks 25 and 25, and upon the vertical movement of said members 24 and 24 said sectongears 27 and 28 will partially roto be run along the main track, upon which it is shown as traveling, and the switch-bar 1 is in a position to permit it to so proceed no' manipulation of the parts operating the automatic switch is necessary; but if it is intended that the car should proceed in another direction through the switch the member 24 in the slot 23 between third rail 21 and track 10 will be operated upon and pressed down, whereupon the rack will cause a movement of sector-gear 27, thereby partially turning rod 19, which in turn will operate sector-gear 16 at the opposite end of rod 19, and thereby laterally shift the member 7 through the instrumentality of the rack 15, and through the medium of stem 4 also shift the switch-bar 1. If a reverse movement is desired, the same may be accomplished through the medium of the reciprocating member 24', sector-gear 25, rod 18, sector-gear 17, and rack 15, which operated in similar manner will produce like results, and it will be understood that the alternation of operation will likewise alternate the position of the parts. It will now be seen that the members 24 and 24 may be operated upon as the car approaches the switch and that said switch may be moved to position at will before the car enters the same, whereby the direction of said car may be determined.

Now for the purpose of operating such a switch as may be constructed from the above description I provide suitable mechanism, combined within or attached to a car, which may operate upon the members 24 and 24 of the switch mechanism. In the present instance this mechanism preferably comprises a construction (designated in a general way by 29) which may comprise a bearing 30, suitably secured to the body or running-gear 31 of a car, preferably intermediate the trucks or wheels 32. Within a suitable slot 33 in said bearing is a member 34, adapted to reciprocate vertically in said slot, and this member is provided with a spindle 35, upon which is mounted a rotary tripper 36, preferably in the form of a wheel having a tread 37 upon which is extended a tread 38, which latter tread takes into a groove 38 between the third rails and tracks and rides upon the shoes 26 and 26 and presses down the members 24 and 24.

For the purpose of operating the switchoperating mechanism I provide a series of levers 35 and 36, respectively, of the first order, the lever 35 being pivoted at 37 in a bearing 39 and the lever 36 being pivoted at 38 in a bearing 40. These levers cross each other about midway between the bearings 39 and 40, respectively, and at such crossing-point each is adapted to play in a bifurcated upper end of the reciprocating member 34. Hence it will be seen that these levers are adapted to press wheel 36 down upon the members 24 and 24 through the instrumentality of the member 34 when said levers are pressed down at their outer ends 40, 41, 42, and 43 by means of foot-pieces 44, 45, 46, or 47 projecting through the platforms48 and 49 of the car 50. Hence when said wheel 36 is lowered to operative position it will cause an actuation of the entire switching mechanism, as is obvious.

To return the switch-actuators on the cars to their normal inoperative position, and thus also control the train of levers, a resilient member 51, preferably located at the bearing 30, determines the normal position of said levers and actuators. As shown, this resilient member comprises a spiral or compression spring surrounding said member 34, and which has a bearing on the bearing 30 and against a stud 52, fixed to said member 34. It is to be understood, of course, that the mechanism just described is to "be duplicated on each side of the car.

Proceeding to the moclus operandz': Assuming that the car is moving along the main line and it is desired that it should so proceed and in approaching the switch it is discovered that the switch is set to switch the car off said main line and provided the car is proceeding in the direction of the arrow, Fig.

1, the foot-piece 41 is pressed down, whichwill lower the lever and cause the wheel 30 to bear down upon the shoe 26 of the member'24, which will partially rotate the segment 27 and thereby the rod 19, which in turn will also operate the segment 16, and through the instrumentality of the rack 15 the switch-bar 1 will be moved over, whereby the car will be allowed to pass into the curve.

perform a function similar to that already ex pressed, whereby to press upon the shoe 26 of the member 24', whereby the switch will be thrown over by an operation of the mechanism reverse to that explained, when the car may proceed along the main line.

It is to be observed from Fig. 9, of course,

that the lever construction, as has been described, is duplicated on both sides and on each end of the car and that foot-pieces on the opposite sides of opposite ends of the car are employed to operate any of the levers at will to produce like results.

It may here be stated that I also provide, as designated in a general way by B and C, two sets of heating devices, which will prevent the underground mechanism of the switch mechanism proper for operating the switch from being captivated by ice during the freezing season.

It will now be seen that I provide an automatic switch mechanism located in a road-bed and which is operable by mechanism employed in the car and operable at will and that said mechanism attached to said car cooperates with said mechanism in the road-bed, whereby by simple manipulations at will the car may proceed in any direction desired.

Within the purview of this invention variations may be resorted to as to-structure and operation, so long as they are calculated to produce a well-defined, efficient, and durable automatic switching mechanism and means for operating the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim g 1. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar connected therewith, rods running transverse to and a suitable distance from said rack-bar, sector-gears mounted on said rod and meshing with said rack, additional sector-gears also carried on said rods, means for operating said last-mentioned sector-gears, and mechanism carried by a carrier for operating on said lastmentioned means.

2. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom,rods runningtransverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism, and means carried by the carrier to operate said members. r

3. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism.

4:. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism, means carried by the carrier to operate said members, and means for heating the switching mechanism.

5. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said 5 v bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, each member meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, wherebyto operate the switch mechanism, and means for heating the switching mechanism.

6. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, arack-bar connected therewith, rods running transverse to and a suitable distance from said rack-bar, sector-gears mounted on said rod and meshing with said rack, additional sector-gears also carried on said rods, and means for operating said last-mentioned sector-gears.

7. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism.

'8. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising a switch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said lastmentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism, and means to heat the switching mechanism.

9. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising aswitch-bar, a rack-bar proceeding therefrom, rods running transverse to said bar and extending a suitable distance therefrom, sector-gears carried by said rods and adapted to mesh with the racks of said bar, additional sector-gears carried by said rods, rack members meshing with said last-mentioned sector-gears and projecting above the tracks at a suitable distance beyond the switch, and adapted to be operated upon, whereby to operate the switch mechanism, and means for heating the switching mechanism.

10. In combination with an automatic switch mechanism adapted to be operated a suitable distance from the switch, of means carried by a carrier-truck for effecting an operation of said mechanism, and levers to reciprocate said trucks, and resilient members to elevate said levers and reciprocating members to an inoperative position. 7

11. In combination with an automatic switch mechanism adapted to beoperated a suitable Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray-sweet, :New distance froml the switch, of means carried by York, N. Y., this 6th day of J 1115 41903.

a carrier-true for efl ecting an operation of I. said mechanism, and levers to reciprocate said WILLIAM A trucks, and compression-springs to elevate Witnesses:

said levers and reciprocating members to an FRED. W. BARNAGLO,

inoperative position. Jon-NO; SEBFERT; 

